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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Aibu to hope that this is the start of a major backlash against SUVs?

487 replies

gingganggooleywotsit · 07/04/2021 08:44

Just seen this on the BBC news website.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56647128
It’s the first time I’ve ever seen anyone in motoring speak out publicly against suvs. I pray this is the start of a major backlash and rightly so! Before anyone says..”you’re jealous” as I usually see on these threads, I would just like to say-I could afford one myself but I wouldn’t be seen dead in one!
Also I am only talking about city suvs. In the countryside/farming it’s of course a different matter.

OP posts:
Thelastlightbulb · 07/04/2021 12:57

I was really against Suvs till I moved to somewhere, still city based, with hills, snow and a haphazard approach to gritting. After getting close with a ditch and another time a tram, I'm now trsm suv. I also make a mental note to not offer to winch out/take to work/ hospital anyone who complains about me having one though I will offer for others.

Alaimo · 07/04/2021 13:08

I know everyone who owns an SUV claims to really need it, but where has this sudden need come from? A BBC article from a year or so ago reported that in 2009 6% of all cars sold were SUVs, in 2019 this had gone up to 21%.

So what's happened in those years? Why do so many people suddenly need an SUV when they didn't 10 years ago? How did they manage before?

GreenlandTheMovie · 07/04/2021 13:12

@Alaimo

I know everyone who owns an SUV claims to really need it, but where has this sudden need come from? A BBC article from a year or so ago reported that in 2009 6% of all cars sold were SUVs, in 2019 this had gone up to 21%.

So what's happened in those years? Why do so many people suddenly need an SUV when they didn't 10 years ago? How did they manage before?

Possibly some are explained because to tow anything legally now realistically requires a 4 x 4 rated very highly. The law was changed on this I believe around 12 years ago. So its not the weight that you actually tow, its the potential weight of what you tow.

Many saloon cars can tow just fine but now aren't legally permitted to do so.

Also the roads maintenance around my city is hopeless, there are literally crater sized potholes on main roads which don't get repaired, never mind the snow drifts and lack of traction on black ice.

I'd actually much rather cycle into work, as I did in The Netherlands, but given there are no safe cycle paths separated from the road, and cyclists are frequently killed cycling in the city here, its not the safest option.

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 07/04/2021 13:13

@Alaimo

I know everyone who owns an SUV claims to really need it, but where has this sudden need come from? A BBC article from a year or so ago reported that in 2009 6% of all cars sold were SUVs, in 2019 this had gone up to 21%.

So what's happened in those years? Why do so many people suddenly need an SUV when they didn't 10 years ago? How did they manage before?

Well they just managed, but there are so many more SUVs available to people now, why would just manage and struggle when you don't need to. It's like saying people managed to wash and dry their clothes by hand 80 years ago, why do we need washing machines and tumble dryers now. Or people managed to wash the dishes by hand before dishwashers, why have a dishwasher (I don't have a dishwasher or tuble dryer actually but most on here do, and so many use tumble dryers through the whole year). People managed before there were any cars at all. Should we all go back to using horse and cart?
EvilPea · 07/04/2021 13:14

@peak2021

I don't argue for a ban, just a driving test specifically for them. Which I expect would reduce their number to those who would be really inconvenienced without one.
That’s madness. A lot of them have driver supports so are easier to drive than other cars. E.g Lane assist, reverse cameras that pop up and give 360 views. Cars that park themselves.

If your a shit driver in a modern suv your a really shit driver.

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 07/04/2021 13:15

As I said before, I wonder how many people crying about people having SUVs go on holidays abroad every year.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 07/04/2021 13:16

Car parks are not designed for them, too many people end up paving front gardens because they struggle to reverse into or out of garages

My FIL has a Seat Ibiza - tiny - and a standard-sized garage. That car won’t fit in his garage (at least with any room at all to open the doors).

You don't need a car in a city like London, let alone an suv

The thing is, though, that cars enable you to travel far and wide. Plenty of people who live and work in London travel far outside the city regularly.

You don't need them in the countryside either, that's just nonsense. I've always lived in the countryside and we have always had a small car.

What do you mean by ‘countryside’, though? Are you talking about the bits between the charming Cotswold villages or the rugged, remote, mountainous roads in Sutherland?

If it were me I would call an SUV a large vehicle for driving licence purposes and if you want to drive one, take your driving test in one. The thought of having to take your driving test again or have a normal sized car I expect would reduce the number of SUVs on the road.

That’s just not logical at all, though. A standard car licence allows you to drive a laden Luton van – and if you passed before 1997, you could also tow a laden trailer the weight of another Luton behind the first one. How would you tell people they can drive a ‘standard’ car or a ‘Luton train’ on the same licence, but not something that’s slightly bigger than a family estate – just because you personally don’t like the stereotype of people you believe drive them all?

They are ugly cars Ginuwine. My mum always had them while I was growing up (still does) and I swore I would never have one.

Each to their own, but I’ve never got the hatred for MPVs. They're never intended to be sports convertibles. I don’t have a car of my own at all atm, as my estate died just before Christmas and we won’t have the money for a replacement one for a few months, so are sharing the remaining (old but still going) hatchback; but I’ve looked into it all in great detail and decided that, for our longer-term needs, an MPV is by far the best choice – something very versatile that drives like a car but has the space of a small van. I’m not a petrolhead, though – I don’t see cars as something beautiful to behold: to me, they’re just a tool.

They are just a practical choice. There is actually only a few inches difference in the width of any car, regardless of length and height, it’s the shape and styling that offer the versatility of space. Try shoe- horning a teenager, 2 car seats, a large wheelchair and everything else into a smaller differently designed car. The extra height is better for people with disabilities, better vision makes it safer, usually 3 distinct seats in the back with a flat foot area in the rear. I don’t see why someone should judge or sneer when they don’t know the reasons why someone chooses some..🤷🏻‍♀‍

I completely agree, apart from, to be fair, your better vision is only because it’s bigger than most cars and thus comes at the expense of the people in the hatchback right behind you!

I really don't understand why people who live and work in a large town or city would want one. Surely a smaller car would be easier to park, for a start?

Have you heard of weekends and holidays…. Smile

We have one, the other car is a much smaller family car. We use it for towing the caravan- the caravan which means we don’t fly abroad for holidays but instead stay (mainly) in the U.K., using local shops and services. The weight of the van means that we need a car weighing in at about 2000kg.

Our caravan isn’t as big as yours, and we’re heading down the MPV route, but we’re basically the same. We haven’t flown anywhere for 23 years. A lot of people are jumping on the bandwagon that ‘SUV’ = ‘brand new Q7s or similar’, and therefore clearly only a status symbol; but one of the main reasons we got our caravan is because we can’t otherwise afford holidays – in the UK or abroad – because we’re (presumably) of too low financial ‘status’. Running a bigger, heavier (bought 8+ years old) car with which we can tow the caravan is within our budget, but otherwise, we’d have no holidays at all (disabilities preclude camping).

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 07/04/2021 13:18

As I said before, I wonder how many people crying about people having SUVs go on holidays abroad every year.

My reasoning exactly - and I don't even have or want an SUV personally! It's all very much a case of "Your polluting choices are selfishly killing the planet but mine are essential and unavoidable".

Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 07/04/2021 13:19

I really don't understand why people who live and work in a large town or city would want one. Surely a smaller car would be easier to park, for a start?

Maybe....if you're shit at parking.

Sansaplans · 07/04/2021 13:20

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion

I really don't understand why people who live and work in a large town or city would want one. Surely a smaller car would be easier to park, for a start?

Maybe....if you're shit at parking.

Or if you don't really give a crap about others having to squeeze into the space beside you.
GreenlandTheMovie · 07/04/2021 13:21

I really don't understand why people who live and work in a large town or city would want one. Surely a smaller car would be easier to park, for a start?

Plenty of 4 x 4 not only have reversing and bumper sensors but also reversing cameras. Pretty easy to park.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 07/04/2021 13:23

MargosKaftan

Perfectly summarised.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 07/04/2021 13:23

Again. The squeezing into car park space is not an suv problem. It's most newer cars problem

Alaimo · 07/04/2021 13:24

I will say that people seem increasingly allergic to even the smallest form of discomfort?

My 6ft3 tall dad used to drive a small Hyundai, now a Fiat Panda. PiLs used to drive some kind of Toyota hatchback despite having two very tall teenagers. My 6ft4 husband's first car was a Yaris. He then had a Fiesta, and now a Skoda Fabia and he manages fine. We've regularly fitted 4 adults, and occasionally 5 adults (3 of them over 6ft tall), + outdoor kit in the Yaris for 2-5hr drives. Yet we somehow managed.

fizbosshoes · 07/04/2021 13:29

I cant get worked up about it. I havent got an SUV and dont especially want one but the size/elevation/boot space etc seems to suit a lot of people. Maybe they dont all need one but most people choose things, not just cars, with both wants and needs in mind.
As an aside I'm a bit crap at parallel parking (and I've got a medium size car!Blush)

changi · 07/04/2021 13:30

My 6ft3 tall dad used to drive a small Hyundai, now a Fiat Panda.

A lot depends on how your body proportions. My husband is 6'4 and really struggles for legroom in certain cars and economy airline seats. His friend, also 6'4 has no problem in economy airline seats but struggles with headroom in cars.

itsgettingwierd · 07/04/2021 13:33

Green you also don't see as many of those long estate cars with huge boots anymore. People who now have suvs that I know use to own them. A lot of them are caravan owners.

Perhaps what people buy has changed because what's on offer to meet their needs has changed?

Me and ds have a MPV. We always have back seats down. We need that car though.

DynamoKev · 07/04/2021 13:33

I really don't understand why people who live and work in a large town or city would want one. Surely a smaller car would be easier to park, for a start?
Its hard to see past the huge 4x4s in tiny car ;)

Elai1978 · 07/04/2021 13:34

Possibly some are explained because to tow anything legally now realistically requires a 4 x 4 rated very highly. The law was changed on this I believe around 12 years ago. So its not the weight that you actually tow, its the potential weight of what you tow.

Many saloon cars can tow just fine but now aren't legally permitted to do so.

What a load of crap. If you want something with a 3.5t towing capacity you’ll need a 4x4 but for most people who want to tow a caravan or trailer 2t towing capacity will be sufficient. Plenty of cars are capable of this such as the 5 series.

GreenlandTheMovie · 07/04/2021 13:34

@Alaimo

I will say that people seem increasingly allergic to even the smallest form of discomfort?

My 6ft3 tall dad used to drive a small Hyundai, now a Fiat Panda. PiLs used to drive some kind of Toyota hatchback despite having two very tall teenagers. My 6ft4 husband's first car was a Yaris. He then had a Fiesta, and now a Skoda Fabia and he manages fine. We've regularly fitted 4 adults, and occasionally 5 adults (3 of them over 6ft tall), + outdoor kit in the Yaris for 2-5hr drives. Yet we somehow managed.

Am I the only one who finds it rather uninspiring to hear what other people's fathers of a perfectly average height used to do?

My great grandfather used to drive a horse and trap. He was tall. He also managed. Point being?

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 07/04/2021 13:38

I will say that people seem increasingly allergic to even the smallest form of discomfort?

My 6ft3 tall dad used to drive a small Hyundai, now a Fiat Panda. PiLs used to drive some kind of Toyota hatchback despite having two very tall teenagers. My 6ft4 husband's first car was a Yaris. He then had a Fiesta, and now a Skoda Fabia and he manages fine. We've regularly fitted 4 adults, and occasionally 5 adults (3 of them over 6ft tall), + outdoor kit in the Yaris for 2-5hr drives. Yet we somehow managed.

What's the point in needlessly flagellating yourself, though?! Why would you choose a car that you can just about manage with when there's a bigger, more practical, affordable option available to you that serves you better? If you had three children and could easily afford a 4-bed house, would you deliberately go for a 2-bed, just because you reckon you could manage with it?

Alaimo · 07/04/2021 13:38

@Iminaglasscaseofemotion

As I said before, I wonder how many people crying about people having SUVs go on holidays abroad every year.
Depending on the type of SUV and the type of holiday, there is a good chance the SUV will be more polluting than the holiday.

A Qashqai emits about 150g CO2/km. My Fabia 106g. So, given a distance of 10,000 miles, a Qashqai emits about 700kg more CO2 annually than my Fabia does.

A return flight from London to Barcelona emits about 350kg CO2. So I can drive my Fabia, fly to Barcelona for a holiday and still have a lower carbon footprint than a Qashqai driver.

DynamoKev · 07/04/2021 13:39

@SchrodingersImmigrant

Again. The squeezing into car park space is not an suv problem. It's most newer cars problem
Agreed. And its mostly to do with extra comfort and safety features in modern cars.
Angrymum22 · 07/04/2021 13:40

I learned to drive in a massive Volvo estate ( the ones from the 70s/80s which were the length of a bus) and I’m much more comfortable driving a large SUV. Our current one is a modern diesel with lower emissions than most petrol cars and apparently most hybrids.
We live rurally so it is justified. We have a second car which is smaller and easier to handle in urban areas, ideal for school run, shopping and work. SUV is for motorway and negotiating muddy rugby club car parks in winter.
If we were city dwellers ( I used to be) I’d be happy to walk or use public transport but since we have sporadic pavements and very poor public transport links a car is our only option. Our nearest big city is Birmingham, I prefer to use the train but have to drive 8 miles to the train station where it is a 30min train journey. The cost of a return journey is actually cheaper than a days parking in the city.
Cheaper still is shopping onlineGrin

Alaimo · 07/04/2021 13:42

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

I will say that people seem increasingly allergic to even the smallest form of discomfort?

My 6ft3 tall dad used to drive a small Hyundai, now a Fiat Panda. PiLs used to drive some kind of Toyota hatchback despite having two very tall teenagers. My 6ft4 husband's first car was a Yaris. He then had a Fiesta, and now a Skoda Fabia and he manages fine. We've regularly fitted 4 adults, and occasionally 5 adults (3 of them over 6ft tall), + outdoor kit in the Yaris for 2-5hr drives. Yet we somehow managed.

What's the point in needlessly flagellating yourself, though?! Why would you choose a car that you can just about manage with when there's a bigger, more practical, affordable option available to you that serves you better? If you had three children and could easily afford a 4-bed house, would you deliberately go for a 2-bed, just because you reckon you could manage with it?

Why I'd choose the small car: because it's substantially less damaging to the environment and vulnerable road users. As a person upthread said: sure a bigger car makes sense in individual circumstances, but it's impossible to deny they are not worse for the environment and society as a whole. So we need to find a way to distinguish between those who need an SUV and those who 'need' an SUV.